Family foods Food Library
When can babies have sushi?
Can babies eat sushi?
Toddlers can have sushi made with cooked fish or vegetables from about 12 months, cut into small pieces. Sushi with raw fish or raw shellfish is best avoided for young children because of the risk of food poisoning and parasites. Sushi rice is sticky and seaweed can be tough to chew, so pieces need to be small.
How to serve sushi by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Skip sushi. Instead, offer the parts on their own in smooth form: cooked salmon blended into a puree, mashed avocado, smooth rice porridge and soft-cooked vegetable purees, all on a spoon. Avoid nori sheets.
7–8 months
Still skip sushi rolls. Offer flaked cooked salmon, roughly mashed avocado or soft avocado pieces, and soft sticky rice pressed into small balls that squash easily. Avoid nori sheets, which are hard to chew.
9–12 months
Still skip whole rolls. Make mini rice balls with cooked salmon and avocado mixed in, or sprinkle finely crumbled nori over rice. Keep pieces small and soft.
12 months +
Offer cooked or vegetable sushi like avocado, cucumber, cooked salmon or cooked shrimp rolls, cut into quarters. Choose rolls with the rice on the outside or crumble the nori, and skip raw fish, spicy mayo and soy sauce.
Why it’s good
Cooked fish sushi gives protein, omega-3 fats, iodine and vitamin B12, and avocado adds healthy fats. Sushi rice is usually seasoned with sugar, salt and vinegar, and soy sauce adds lots of sodium, so keep sushi occasional for young kids.
Safety notes
- Do not give raw fish or raw shellfish sushi to babies and young children. Raw seafood can carry bacteria and parasites that are more dangerous for small children.
- Choose low-mercury fish like salmon, cooked shrimp or crab. Avoid high-mercury fish like bigeye tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and marlin.
- Sushi rice is sticky and can clump. Cut rolls into quarters and offer water with the meal.
- Nori seaweed is tough and can stick to the roof of the mouth. Crumble it finely or choose inside-out rolls for toddlers.
- Skip soy sauce, wasabi and spicy mayo, which are salty or spicy. Seaweed is high in iodine, so keep it to small amounts.
Introduce sushi on its own, then keep it in
Sushi often contains fish, shellfish, sesame, soy (in soy sauce) and egg, all Top 9 allergens, and some rolls include crab sticks made with wheat. Introduce each allergen on its own first and choose rolls with simple, known ingredients.
Sushi for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about sushi for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have sushi?
Toddlers can have sushi made with cooked fish or vegetables from about 12 months, cut into small pieces. Sushi with raw fish is best avoided for young children.
Can babies eat sushi?
Babies under 12 months are better off with the separate parts of sushi, like flaked cooked salmon, soft rice and avocado, rather than whole sushi rolls. Sticky rice and nori are tricky textures for new eaters.
Is sushi a choking hazard for babies?
Sushi is a medium choking risk for babies and toddlers because the rice is sticky and nori seaweed is tough and can stick in the mouth. Cut sushi into small pieces, crumble the nori, and stay with your child while they eat.
Is sushi a common allergen?
Sushi often contains common allergens, including fish, shellfish, sesame, soy and egg. Know exactly what is in each roll before serving sushi to a baby or toddler.
How do I serve sushi to a 6 month old?
Sushi rolls are not recommended for a 6 month old. Offer the ingredients separately in smooth form instead, such as blended cooked salmon, mashed avocado and smooth rice porridge on a spoon.
Can toddlers eat raw fish sushi?
Toddlers should avoid raw fish sushi because raw seafood can carry bacteria and parasites that cause serious illness in young children. Choose rolls with cooked fish, cooked shrimp, egg or vegetables.
Can babies eat seaweed?
Babies can have small amounts of finely crumbled seaweed sprinkled over food. Whole nori sheets are hard to chew and can stick to the roof of the mouth, and seaweed is high in iodine, so keep portions small.
Which sushi is safest for toddlers?
The safest sushi for toddlers includes avocado rolls, cucumber rolls for older toddlers, cooked salmon rolls, cooked shrimp rolls and egg (tamago) sushi. Avoid raw fish, high-mercury fish and spicy sauces.
Can toddlers have soy sauce with sushi?
Toddlers should have little or no soy sauce with sushi because soy sauce is very high in sodium. A tiny dab of low-sodium soy sauce now and then is the most a toddler needs.
The takeaway
- Toddlers can have sushi made with cooked fish or vegetables from about 12 months, cut into small pieces.
- Offer cooked or vegetable sushi like avocado, cucumber, cooked salmon or cooked shrimp rolls, cut into quarters.
- Choking risk is medium. Fish is one of the Top 9 allergens: offer a small amount first, watch for a reaction, then keep it in the diet regularly.
Read next
Sources
This guide follows current advice from these organizations.
- Starting Solid Foods American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Choking Hazards Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Choking Prevention American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Advice about Eating Fish U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- The Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children Greer FR, Sicherer SH, Burks AW; American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2019;143(4):e20190281
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Updated November 2026. Reviewed by our dietitians. Based on AAP, CDC and NIAID guidance. Written for healthy, full-term babies; not a substitute for your pediatrician. If your baby was born early, has a medical condition, feeding difficulties or a known allergy, check with them first (medical disclaimer). Always stay with your baby while they eat.